B) Unexpected Complications
by selfless1978
Summary: They have changed and they have move forward with their lives. Now can they handle what their new life throws at them? Sequel to 'Broken Honor'
1. Chapter 1

Brooklyn sat naked and huddled in the corner on her bed. Her knees would be drawn up against her chest if she could pull them up that far. But she couldn't. The large bulge in her midsection wouldn't allow for it to happen.

She settled for leaning against the wall with a sigh. She was so tired, hungry, thirsty, cold and just fed up with everything. And for the countless time she wondered how she came to be in this predicament. Brooklyn absently pushed a strand of her mousy brown hair out of her face, that was in serious need of a trim. Along with a good brushing. Right now it was so tangled she wasn't even sure she'd ever get them all out. Personal hygiene didn't seem to be a priority when it concerned her. And it wasn't because she was lax about it, it was because she wasn't allowed to keep up with it just as she wasn't allowed any clothes to wear. The only thing that concerned those here was what she was carrying inside her petite, five foot and two inch frame. And her small build made this lump seem so much larger, and awkward. Even trying to use the stainless steel, also filthy, toilet in the other corner of the room was a chore.

Her eyes wandered again over the walls of what had been her home for the last five months or so, as far as she could keep track anyway. She snorted. Home. This was no home. This was a prison. There were no windows, the bare, filthy walls were made of thick grey stone and the only source of light given to her was the bare bulb that flickered above her, casting off a sickly yellow light.

The door caught her attention next. She had stared at that metal barrier so much she knew every scratch, dent and pitted rust spot on it intimately. And she also knew there was no way to open it. There was no handle on this side and it fit snugly in the frame to where even if she had something to try and jimmy it open, there wouldn't even be enough room in the crack to slide a paperclip in it. Such a simple door really, but it blocked her from the outside world. She sighed again as she turned her head away.

Finally, her eyes lifted up. Set in the middle of the ceiling was a simple vent that pushed in air for her to breath. It had also once been a method of communication for her, a link to others who also struggled to deal with this situation. Brooklyn hadn't been the only one brought here, others had huddled in other rooms and shared their fears with her as she shared hers with them. Now it was quiet. Jackie, a teenager who had once had great dreams of her own she wanted to follow now that she had been free to do so, hadn't been heard from in days. Natasha, a young mother of two little boys she was excited to raise in this new world, had violently protested being dragged out of her cell, and she never came back. And they were only two of about ten, all now quiet. Brooklyn was alone.

She took a small amount of comfort however. Even as much as the process had pained her, left her crying on this very bed after every treatment that was forced on her, the feeling of wonder still overwhelmed her when it became clear what had actually been done to her. A small smile was allowed onto her dirty, pale face as her hand rested against her bare extended stomach. And it grew a bit when there was a violent jab against her hand. What had been once little flutters of barely felt movements had now grown. Someone was restless today...

Brooklyn supposed she should hate this tiny thing inside of her, but she didn't. It wasn't the child's fault this had happened. Her dainty hand with broken, ragged fingernails gently glided over her skin, trying to sooth the baby housed within. As usual, it seemed to work as the jabs and kicks stopped. But not before it got a good hit in on her bladder that made her wince a little.

The exhausted woman laid her head against the wall and closed her eyes. What was she going to do? It was now very clear to her that the only reason she was alive was because she carried this child, a child that they wanted badly enough to force the procedures onto her. But she also knew that she would be damned if she let them have it without a fight. They may have caused this pregnancy, but this was _her_ child, not theirs.

Her brown eyes snapped open. The solid surface she rested her head on shook a little and she straightened back up, turned slightly, and looked at that wall in confusion. She didn't understand what she had felt, nor did she understand why the light bulb above her was swaying ever so slightly as it flickered even more than usual. Then, with a slight pop, it went out and she found herself sitting in total darkness.

Fear filled her. Deep down she had told herself that she could handle this, as long as the light stayed on. That single little bulb had become so much more to her. It had become a beacon of hope for her, as long as it stayed lit it held the despair away. And now it was out. Icy tendrils of terror began to crawl up her spine. She didn't want to sit in the dark, she didn't want to be vulnerable to what she couldn't see. She didn't want to be locked in this room that now resembled a dark, dusty tomb! She wanted out! "No, no, no, no, no..." She scrambled off of the bed. "Not the light, please not the light. Come back on, you have to come back on. Come back _on!_ " She yelled at it, and it ignored her and stayed dark.

Panic gripped her now. She rushed towards the nearest wall and felt her way along it until she got to the door before she began to bang on it frantically. Her heart was racing and she broke out into a cold, fear driven sweat. "Hello! Is somebody there! Please! Turn the light back on! Turn it on!" Her cries went unheard. _"Please!"_ She collapsed against the door, crying as she slid to the floor. Hard sobs shook her body as she lost what little control she had managed to hold onto. Another shudder, this one slightly stronger, hit the room. But she didn't care. All she cared about was that the light had went out. Brooklyn still leaned on the door, her weakened fist still hitting it, trying to get someone to come and turn it back on for her.

It took her numbed mind a moment to figure out what she was hearing every time her fist made contact. But it eventually seeped in. The door...it rattled every time she hit it... She quickly wiped her eyes and forced herself to calm down then placed a tentative hand on the cool metal and pushed it. The normally tight fitting metal blockade to her freedom, moved. Hope surged in her again as she got back to her feet. Could it be? This time when she hit it, she didn't block it with her body but stood slightly to the side. And her ears couldn't believe it when they heard the door hit the frame, and creaked as it swung open slightly. Her probing fingers confirmed the fact. The door was open...

She didn't know how long she stood there in stunned disbelief before she forced herself to move. This was the only chance she was going to get and she wasn't going to waste it. Brooklyn swiftly moved back to the bed, grabbed the old, worn thin blanket she had been given and wrapped it around her. Both to give her some warmth and modesty. If she made it out to the street, she really didn't want to be naked. Then she came back to the door, took a deep shuddering breath before she slipped her fingers into the small opening and opened it even wider. And just like that, she was out.

Quickly she understood why the door had been able to open. The mechanism she already knew was one of those that electrically locked the door, but the power seemed to be out. It was night and the corridor beyond was only slightly lighter than her cell had been, and only because there were a few windows to let the lights come in from the lit up city beyond.

A third tremor rocked the building, the strongest yet so far as she carefully made he way farther out. Each step taking her a greater distance from where she had been imprisoned. Again she didn't ponder on it, but wondered instead on why the place seemed deserted. Every time she had been let out the place was always full of people. Mainly well armed men who were to escort her to what they call 'the procedure room'. Now...nothing...

Brooklyn gripped her blanket tighter around her, her arms trembling from the strain of weariness and fear and forced herself to go on. She would have ran if she had the energy and wasn't inhibited with the burden around her midsection. All she could manage as a speed waddle, and that wasn't getting her anywhere in a hurry. Her desperation grew as the faint sounds of activity were starting to be heard. Feet running, a few small explosions, shouting, and what sounded like fighting all filled her ears. But, miraculously, she remained undetected as she found the stairwell and began to make her way to the lower level of the building.

The lower she got, the more the noises rang louder. It sounded like she was heading directly into the hornet's nest of chaos. Her pending freedom drove her to keep going regardless. The door leading out into the ground floor was in her now darkness accustomed sights when another wrinkle was thrown at her. There was a sudden release of pressure in her body before her legs were suddenly drenched and the unmistakable sound of fluid hitting the stairs. The blood drained from her dirty face as realization kicked in. "No little one, not here, not now..."

The contraction that hit next told her yes, definately now.

A whimper escaped her lips as she struggled through the pain. She had to keep going, she couldn't birth a child into this place. This horrid evil place. She stumbled out of the stairwell, her hand pressed tightly against her midsection. The haze of pain forced on by another contraction almost caused her to miss the door. The door that led outside. Eagerly she guided her steps that way, pausing only to let another shudder pass through the building before she moved on. The door handle gave way easily under her touch and she pushed through.

That first breath of freedom smelled so sweet to her, even if it was tainted with the acrid fragrance of smoke. She had done it, somehow she had managed to get away. Groaning through the pain of yet another contraction she made her way down the alley she was in, towards the street. If she could just get to the street she could get help. There had to be someone out there who could help...

Her body couldn't go any farther however. The combination of her next contraction and the overwhelming exhaustion hit her hard enough to where her knees gave out and she slid to the trash littered ground. And this time she had no strength left to get back up, or even to hold herself up. Somehow she went from kneeling to laying on her side. Silent tears flowed out of her eyes, not even having the strength left in her anymore to cry properly as she began to understand she was no condition to keep going, or to give birth to this child.

Brooklyn then forced her eyes to focus through the tears as a black clad foot stepped down lightly in front of her. "Ma'am? Are you alright?" A woman's concerned voice asked a moment before a young woman kneeled next to her. The red hair on her head tickled Brooklyn's skin as she leaned forward to get a better look at the downed woman, then the air was filled with her cursing. The redhead looked over her shoulder. "James!"

"What!" A male called back. "I'm kinda busy!"

"Have someone else deal with it! Lotus has enough competent ninja in this group! I need you!"

The sound of footsteps jogging across the pavement came next before the owner of the voice showed himself. "Oh...shit... She needs help."

"You think!"

Brooklyn was gently lifted and carried to a waiting van before she was carefully, but thoroughly strapped down by the woman. "No..." She weakly protested. She didn't want to be bound, be imprisoned again...

"Relax, this is just to keep you still during the ride." She was reassured as the vehicle was set into motion. "My brother's driving kinda sucks."

"Where are...are..."

"Where are we taking you?" Brooklyn nodded in affirmation. "Someplace safe hon. There aren't any clinics on this side of town yet, but I know someone who would be better equipped to help you anyway. And he's closer. Just hang in there, ok?"

Brooklyn sighed and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure who these individuals were, but she could already tell they weren't linked to those who had held her captive. They were too kind to be like those monsters.


	2. Chapter 2

He was a fierce fighter, a deadly warrior. He could sneak up on you and kill you before you even knew he was there. Had began his training when he was just a young child and now mastered everything there was to know. His name still struck fear in those who had a right to fear him. He was battle hardened, scarred from past events, mentally and physically, quick, decisive and followed through with those decisions without a second thought. He was also a sucker for this little blue eyed child he was trying to feed.

"Who's a good little cutsie wootsie baby girl!" Leonardo asked his nine month old daughter in that annoying high pitched tone many parents were guilty of using, regardless if they admitted it or not. "Who's going to eat her yummy yummy peas?" He placed the spoon in her mouth, and she promptly spat what was on it back out with a loud "pfffff!". Her hands clapped together as her laughter sounded out while Leo wiped the lime green looking gunk off of his face.

"I said you eat it, not that I wanted to wear it." Leo shook his head as he wiped the rest off that had gotten on his gear. "What am I going to do with you baby girl?"

Hope just kept up that little stream of giggles. Then she tipped the bowl over and started rubbing her hands all in it before promptly picking up large handfuls and smearing it into her jet black hair.

Her father gave her a long, flat look at her current masterpiece of mayhem. "You are enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Ba ba ba ba wooo!"

Leo rolled his light brown eyes at her before unhooking her from her highchair. "I'm going to assume you aren't hungry. Let's go get you cleaned up before your mother sees this mess you made."

"She already has." Lotus said as she walked into the dining area of their home. "One would think that an individual so well skilled in leading and fighting could convince his daughter to eat her meal, not wear it."

"She gets it from her mother." He grinned back at his mate.

"I think not." Her tone was firm, but she had a slight smile on her face. "It is her father that has a tendency to attempt awkward versions of humor."

Leo just winked at her before he headed towards the bathroom to wash his food covered child. How did she get it down the front of her friggin onesie? Ugh...

Only a few steps were taken before the loud bang of the lair door slamming open caused him to whirl back around, his daughter in one arm as the other hand now suddenly held a katana out and ready in a firm grip as Holly came running in.

"Damn it Holly!" Leo snapped at her. "How many time have you, and Daniel, been told not to-"

"Where's Donnie!" She cut him off as she ran on down the ramp that led into their home, leaving the door open behind her.

Concern now filled him as he resheathed his sword. "In the lab. What happened! Is James hurt?" Guilt hit him. He should have been out there with her and her brother on this mission tonight. He knew that place had been reported to be trouble. Lord...

"I'm fine." James said as he walked in, his arms burdened with a barely conscious woman. "But she isn't."

The turtle passed his daughter over to Lotus and ran over to help the man by taking his burden from him, and his eyes grew wide in astonishment when he realized she was very obviously pregnant. Then those eyes went back to James. "Where did you find her?"

"Holly saw her come out of the building we hit tonight. Leo from what we can tell, her labor already started."

"Was there anyone else in there?" His quick strides were already taking him to the medical area Donnie had set up in the lab."

"As far as we know right now, no. I told the ninjas to do a thorough sweep of the building before we left. We'll know more when they report back in."

Leo had just time to nod before he entered Donnie's domain, and the turtle was already waiting for them. "Bring her over here." He instructed as he didn't break pace as he set up the various medical equipment he would need. Then he was next to Leo, giving the girl a good look over even before Leo had her fully settled on the bed. A worried frown took over his features as he did and his chocolate brown eyes were filled with concern. The grave look didn't bode well when they met Leo's. "She's not in good shape. I honestly don't know if she'll make it. Or if the baby will." Then he turned to the crowd that had by now gathered, since Raph and Mikey had come in to see what all the commotion was about. "All of you, out."

"But-" Holly began to protest, her eyes wandering to the now unconscious woman.

"Out!" Donnie roared. "You will just be in my way!"

Whatever argument the stubborn redhead could come up with was stopped as she clamped her mouth back shut. Donnie wasn't in the mood to listen to it. Raph came over and gently took her arm before he guided her back out of the lab. "Come on cupcake, there is nothing we can do here."

They gathered in the living room as Lotus took care of the baby, knowing that this matter would need her mate's full attention.

"What exactly happened out there." Leo demanded as he looked at the two humans.

"Nothing different than usual really." James replied as he sat in one of the easy chairs, swinging his leg over the arm of it. "Reports came filtering in to one of our police outposts that the building was...shady. Holly told you about that didn't she?"

Leo nodded. "Yes. Apparently the activity has been going on for a few months now."

"Right. But it took us a bit of time to verify the information." He sighed in frustration. "We are still so short staffed out there. Recruits are coming in, but it takes time to train them, then find suitable supervisors to lead and guide them. Heck, there still isn't a competent police chief in office yet. I understand it takes time to reorganize everything once you take down a tyrant, but this is also causing massive headaches out there. And this is one of them. We could have gotten there much sooner if we had the manpower."

"But we didn't, so don't beat yourself up about it." Leo rubbed his eyes. "That's my job."

Mikey frowned a bit at that. "No, it's not your fault either Leo. The fault lies squarely on the one who started all of this. And he isn't around anymore."

Raph raised his eyeridges. "Which brings up a point. Who is rounding up the cronies that were found there? Someone had to gather all those troops up, and arm them."

James shrugged. "I have no idea bud. The only thing I do know is that they were well equipped and really put up a fight. The quick infiltration and silent take down we had planned for the place didn't happen. It was hell trying to get in there and we had to resort to more noisy tactics to even get in, and shut down the building defenses. Place was hooked up very well. We just don't know by who."

"Finding troops isn't really that hard." Leo added. "There are still vast amounts of his followers out there that we haven't rounded up yet. Most of them are probably wanting a return to the way things used to be, when they had power. It's going to take us a long time to round them all up, not just in the city but everywhere."

"And it just takes one moron to wave that flag hard enough to get them to flock to him." James muttered. "I have a feeling someone is out there making big speeches on 'I can change it back to the time we shit on everybody else!' and getting their attention."

"Yup." Raph agreed.

Another door opened then, the one leading to the barracks, and Daniel walked in with his mother and one of the black clad ninjas Lotus had so painstakingly gathered over the years. "O Mr. Leonaaaaaaaardo!" the ten year old almost shouted, regardless of the fact Leo was sitting right there not ten feet away.

"What is it Daniel."

"Tha ninjas came back. Dey done wit tha buildin' over dere and isa ready to report in. Since mom an me was comin dis way anyhoo, we brought this dude wit us."

Leo had a headache before the boy was even finished speaking. "Daniel...you've been slacking on your grammar studies again."

The boy flashed him a grin. "Nah. I've been getting better, I just did that to annoy you."

Leo rolled his eyes then turned his attention to the man. "Have you completed a thorough sweep of the building?"

He got a quick bow before the ninja replied. Something Lotus insisted they did to him and his brothers, no matter how uncomfortable it made Leo feel. "Yes Master Leonardo." Leo tried not to sigh. That was something else she insisted on. "We found no one else in the building, but there were signs that others had also been housed in it, unwillingly by the looks of it. There was also a lab inside."

Leo sat up a bit at that. "What kind of lab?"

"I'm not really certain Master. It's not my expertise, but I'm having all the information gathered now to be brought to you. We managed to pick up some equipment and figured that Master Donatello would be the best one to look them over."

"That's fine. He's busy right now but i'm sure he'll look at it when he gets a moment."

"Leo..." Donnie walked over to join them, his face pale and his hands shaking slightly. "I'm...not so sure I need to look at the equipment. I got a fairly good idea..." He swallowed hard.

Donnie's demeanor made the older turtle get up out of his chair. "Did she..."

Donnie quickly shook his head. "No. Not yet anyway...she's still not in good shape. But...just come look..." And with those cryptic words he turned and walked back to his lab.

They all exchanged long, confused looks before Leo followed and walked inside. The girl he noticed immediately. Her still body was laid out on the bed and she was hooked up to all kinds of equipment that Leo had no idea on how they worked. But that wasn't where Donnie waited. He stood next to the wheeled crib that had not so long ago held Hope. Nestled in blankets to keep it warm a small, brown eyed baby was quietly looking up at the two turtles who stood there. That baby had Leo looking at Donnie incredulously, trying to process if he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.

Holly's stunned gasp confirmed he was seeing it as she looked in after following. A stunned hand covered her mouth as Raph and Mikey also peered in. Raph stumbled backwards and collapsed heavily into Donnie's lab chair, his face now very pale. Mikey's blue eyes were wide as he stared at the tiny baby. The tiny green, shelled and three fingered baby.

James was the most composed out of all of them, he had least was able to find words. "Well, holy shit... Wasn't expecting that."


	3. Chapter 3

It was well into the night. The lair was quiet and dark as all the residents slept. Even Donatello was lost in the bliss of slumber, hunched over his desk, as the door quietly opened. The dim light from the hallway illuminated the purple masked turtle briefly before the door closed again, sending the room back into the deeper darkness. The figure who entered didn't need the light. He walked quietly into the room, his curious eyes searching the darkness.

Silent footsteps made their way carefully across the room and led Michelangelo to the crib. Donnie had since rolled it back over closer to the mother who still hadn't woken up. A soft noise within the small piece of furniture greeted his ears as Mikey looked over the rim. "Hi there." Mikey greeted the awake and squirming little creature with a small smile. The tiny brown eyes looked back up at him, then they closed as the baby yawned. He quickly looked around to make sure his brother was still sleeping before he carefully picked up the bundled child.

The baby made a mewling noise as the turtle held it close against his plastron and began to rock it slightly. "Bored with this place already huh." Mikey asked, not really expecting an answer.

The child squirmed a bit more and made a louder noise of displeasure.

Mikey pursed his lips as he picked up his gentle rocking a bit, but knew it wasn't going to work. "You're hungry, aren't you?" The first quiet whimpers of a full blown hungry cry confirmed the fact. Mikey looked at the mother who was still unconscious before his eyes wandered over to the still sleeping Donnie. "Well, I guess I'll deal with it." Mikey said quietly. "We still got some of Hope's stuff floating around. I'll get you fed."

Humming quietly to the baby as he walked, he quietly left the lab and made his way to the kitchen. Holding the child in one arm, his other hand quickly gathered what he would need. He carefully filled the bottle with the appropriate amount of warm water and began to mix some of Donnie's homemade baby formula in it before awkwardly screwing the top back on. Then he placed his thumb over the rubber nipple and shook the crap out of it. The child was about to start screaming a hunger filled fit when Mikey brought his meal to it's lips, and it began to suck vigorously.

"Goodness." Mikey chuckled as he moved over to the living room, taking a dishtowel with him that he slung over his shoulder. "You are a hungry little thing." He settled down in his favorite recliner, gently holding the bottle for the fragile creature in his arms. He watched with soft eyes and a gentle smile as the bottle was slowly drained.

It was about the time Mikey finished burping his charge when the smell hit him and Mikey wrinkled his nose. "Oh, it's not bad enough I gotta feed ya? You want me to change your butt too? Oh alright." He got up and grabbed one of hope's diapers and her changing things that were carefully stored in the corner. "Can't have you stinking the place out I suppose."

Carefully, and with practiced ease from helping with his niece, Mikey cleaned up the baby and it was then he found out that it was a little boy. "Huh, a little ladies man. That's what you are. You going to have Lotus and Holly wrapped around your finger in no time. I just know it. They are suckers for adorable turtles, and you are adorable. Still don't know why Holly is stuck on Raph though. He's nowhere near as adorable as me. Leo has his moments, but Raph is a lost cause." He finished, somehow making the too big diaper fit before he bundled the boy back up and sat down with him again in the same recliner after disposing of the diaper bomb.

He supposed he should take the baby back into the lab, but Mikey was reluctant to do so. He really didn't get to see much of the little guy before Donnie ushered the stunned turtles back out again, then they sat for hours trying to figure out how this could have happened. And Mikey didn't pay attention to any of it, his thoughts had only been on this curious child sleeping in the lab.

Mikey shifted the child as he leaned the recliner back so it was laying on his stomach on the elder turtle's plastron before wrapping his arms gently around him. Again the soft hum came out of his throat as his hand gently rubbed the tiny shell. There was a heavy sigh from the baby before he closed his brown eyes and settled into sleep. Mikey smiled at him a moment before he leaned his head back onto the recliner. His mind now wandering even as that soft song still vibrated out of his throat.

How could this have happened? He supposed he should have listened to the theories being tossed around earlier, but he didn't and now his mind was wandering trying to figure this out on his own. He knew for a fact none of them, well, ah...mated with the girl. None of them even _knew_ the girl. Was there a turtle out there they didn't know about? No. That couldn't be it. Their father had told them they were the only four turtles created. Mikey frowned. What else could it be? And how in the heck did this girl even become pregnant? Had she been altered like Lotus had been? Mikey shook his head, he just didn't know.

The boy cooed a little in his arms and Mikey realized he had quit humming. He picked it back up again and the baby settled back down again. He added to the calming effect by softly rubbing his hand back and forth over that soft shell some more. He didn't think about it anymore. He just sat and hummed until his own eyes slipped shut, his arms still firmly but gently holding the baby.

.

.

The loud clatter that sounded out in the lab startled Donnie awake and he sat up abruptly in his chair, then toppled backwards in it because he sat up to hard and his momentum tipped him past the pivot point his chair allowed. He stumbled back to his feet even as the racket continued from behind him. Then he snapped out of the world of confusion as he remembered who was behind him.

Donnie spun around to find the woman trying to get up, and unhooking everything she was plugged into. The large racket that had ripped him from his slumber way the tray of supplies he had sitting next to her bed that had been tossed to the floor. Her brown eyes were frantic as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. If Donnie didn't stop her now she would be on her feet, and that was right now not a good thing.

His feet quickly brought him next to her side, and his reflexes ducked the bedpan she swung at his head. "Stay away from me!" She screeched, her eyes wide with fright and confusion. Ok, so Holly neglected to tell the girl exactly where she was going. How wonderful for him. He ducked the bedpan again as it came back around the other way. Donnie decided at that moment he would have a few choice words with Raph's red headed mate about this...

"Lady! Stop!" He was by now blindly trying to grab the bedpan before it came in from the side again, and winced when it came down from above instead and connected with his head. "Oh come on!"

"Get away!" She held her weapon close to her and swung her legs back and to the other side of the bed, crying now in her haste to get away. And once she got her feet onto the floor she clutched the sheet to her ran a few steps before her legs gave out on her. She collapsed into a sobbing pile on the floor, her hand pressed tightly to her stomach. Then she pulled it away and looked confused at the blood on it when she pulled it back. "What did you do to me!" Her high pitched voice screamed at Donnie as he quickly came around the bed.

Donnie sighed as he held his hands up in surrender, she still had a good grip on that bedpan. "Nothing to hurt you, I promise."

She looked at him incredulously, then back at her bloody hand before returning her gaze to him. "My baby... Where is my baby!"

"Ma'am, if you would just calm-"

 _"Where is my baby!"_ Her voice raised a couple octaves as she asked again. Donnie groaned. This could not get any worse.

"What in the hell is going on in here!" Leo roared as he came striding in, his eyes furious. Ok, it could. "Someone better explain to me all the damn noise that woke my daughter up!"

Donnie flinched a little. Hope was Daddy's little girl, and if she wasn't happy, Leo would stomp some shit to get her that way. Only now could he hear his niece's faint crying from farther back in the lair. This just wasn't his night. Note to self...soundproof the damn lab... "Leo, she woke up and she freaked out. It's my fault, I should have been watching her."

"Yes, you should have." The new father angrily grumbled before he stomped farther into the room, zeroing in on the woman on the floor. As predicted the bedpan came in again but Leo managed to block the swing, then firmly took it from her before he threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a loud clang before it moved to the floor with a tinny rattle. Without batting an eye he picked her up and firmly placed her back onto the bed, ignoring the now weak slaps she was getting in on his face and shoulders. "Stop it!" He finally snapped at her. "No one is going to hurt you but if you don't quit I'll tie your ass to the damn bed!"

Donnie winced again. In a lot of ways he and his dimensional counterpart were very similar, but the Leonardo of the other world definitely held the longer patience stick. His own brother held a much shorter one and he was about to beat this woman with it.

"I want my baby!" She hollered right back at him.

"He's right here..." Donnie looked into the crib next to the bed, then facepalmed when he found it empty. No wonder she thought they ate it or something...she couldn't find him.

"What did you do to my baby!" The look on Leo's face strongly hinted at the possibility he was thinking of duct taping her mouth shut.

"Miss?" A new voice broke in next. Mikey's voice as he walked in. "He's right here. See? He's ok. He just got hungry and I took him to get something to eat. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He stopped next to the bed, holding the bundle close to his chest.

Immediately her hands reached for the tiny body but Mikey backed up a step. "No." She looked like she was about to start screaming again but he cut her off before she could. "You're bleeding ma'am. You don't want to get blood all over him, do you? Look, I'll sit in this chair right here next to you with him. You let my brother fix you back up and then I'll give him to you, ok?"

She looked at the bloodstained sheet that covered her a long while before she looked back at him. "You...you promise you won't run off with him?"

Mikey nodded as he sat down. "I promise ma'am."

Donnie rolled his eyes with relief as she nodded her quiet agreement. He gathered up what he would need, including a new sheet, and moved carefully back to her side, explaining to her in a calm voice what had happened as he numbed the area around her torn stitches. "You were brought here by members of our family, and you weren't in good shape when you made it here. There was no way you had the strength to deliver the child on your own, so I had to do a c-section to get him out in time. But there were some complications due to the condition you are in. I fixed you up the best I could, but you still need to take it easy."

Her expression was numb as she took that information in. The numb look of someone who had been through hell but was too tired to fight anymore. The look of someone who was resigned to her fate. The only hope he saw in her eyes was when she looked at the baby, frequently, that Mikey was holding. Otherwise she remained quiet as Donnie worked.

"He's a good little boy." Mikey told her. "Ate real good and didn't give me a hard time at all. He...he likes it when you hum to him."

Donnie was now looking at his brother from the corner of his eye, quietly grateful that he kept her attention. He was still going to slap him silly though. What on earth possessed Mikey to take the baby without letting Donnie know? This whole situation might have been avoided with that critical piece of information.

Finally Donnie stepped back and nodded to Mikey and he handed the baby over as promised. And once the child was out of his arms Leo popped him in the back of the head. "What the hell Mikey!" Good, now Donnie didn't have to do it.

"Ow!" Mikey rubbed the back of his head.

The impending ass chewing stopped at the sound of a quiet chuckle, from the bed. She was looking at them with slight amusement in her eyes. Mikey smiled shyly back at her before he shrugged.

"That happens a lot to him." Raph said from the door where he was quietly watching.

Leo gave him an exasperated look. "You couldn't come in and help?"

Raph snorted. "And get bopped with a bedpan? I think not."

"I'm...sorry." Came the quiet apology from the bed. The girl couldn't even meet their eyes as she said it. She just kept her attention on the little baby in her arms.

"It's ok." Mikey reassured her and Donnie glared at him. _He_ didn't get hit with the bedpan. "I think I would have flipped my lid too." He paused a moment as he tilted his head at her. "May we know your name ma'am?"

She bit her bottom lip, thinking it over a few moments before she answered in a very quiet voice. "Brooklyn."

Leo, now calmed from his shit fit, moved in closer. "And can you tell us what happened Brooklyn?" The tone he took with her now was completely the opposite of the tie to bed threat.

She looked up at him as she held the baby closer to her, almost as if she was scared someone would take him away again. Her eyes watered up as she did and her whole body began to shake. It was at that point Donnie intervened. "Leave her be for now. Let her calm down, get used to us and she'll tell us when she is ready.

Leo looked like he was about to argue but took a good look at her condition and nodded his agreement. "Alright. Brooklyn, I want you to understand that you will be safe here. Rest and heal. And let any of us know if you need something. But please, do not assault my brothers with a bedpan again..." He turned to leave the blushing woman to her rest but grabbed Mikey and pulled him out of the chair first. "And if you do that again, I will make you tutor Daniel for a week. Understood?"

Mikey nodded vigorously. That little boy even had Mikey running and hiding when it came time for his lessons.

Leo then drug Mikey out of the lab and firmly closed the door behind them. Donnie sighed as he walked over to his desk. He fished out a bottle of pain pills and popped a couple in his mouth for the headache she gave him, both literally and figuratively. He dry swallowed them and sat down in his chair to finish what he had been working on before he fell asleep.

When he turned to check on Brooklyn a short time later, a smile found it's way onto his face. She was curled up in the bed, fast asleep and her little boy carefully cradled against her. Well now...maybe this would turn out ok afterall.


	4. Chapter 4

Leo sat at the breakfast table, chewing quietly as he pushed the remaining eggs around on his plate with his fork. His other forearm was between him and his plate as he leaned on it, his eyes staring unseeing at the over easy yolk that slowly spread out into a pool on the white porcelain under it. Obviously his mind wasn't on stilling his hunger this morning.

A week she had been here now, and a week had gone by without a word out of her on what exactly had happened to her. Brooklyn was still as tight lipped as the first time she had woken up. The turtle understood that she had obviously been through something traumatizing and normally he would give her the space she needed, if it weren't for her baby. A little boy that still hadn't been named as far as Leo could tell. Thoughts crossed his mind on if there were more women out there who had, or still are, carrying a similar package. She had to have some kind of answers in her, if she would just open up.

He did try a few times to go and talk to her, but the combination of her recuperation and her stubbornness to talk forced the turtle to leave the lab again numerous times without the information he needed. The whole situation was frustrating him to no end. Leo didn't handle frustration well.

The conversation around him was the same as always. Playful banter exchanged and Lotus' sharp tongued intervention when it threatened to turn into a food fight. Some meals even that went ignored, and Hope gleefully joined in on those occasions. Today, as had been the norm all week, Donnie was once again missing from their table as he kept a close watch on his patient. And more than likely Leo would bring him and Brooklyn a plate once he was finished with his own meal.

It was the sudden silence around him that made Leo finally look up from his plate and quiet musing. He slowly put his fork down onto the plate as he noticed what caused that silence. Donnie was helping the still worn looking woman, now dressed in some of Holly's clothes, down the hallway that led to his lab and into the dining/kitchen area.

Brooklyn held her baby close to her and her eyes kept darting all over the place. She seemed nervous, skittish even, as she tried to adjust to these unfamiliar surroundings. She paused, her breathing slightly heavy now. If it was from the effort of walking or because she was nervous to be the target of everyone's gaze Leo couldn't tell. They were all just stunned to see her up and out of the lab for the first time since she got here.

"Good morning Brooklyn." Lotus calmly told her before she went back to getting Hope to eat her breakfast. "I trust you slept well?"

Brooklyn just nodded as she pressed the baby even closer against her.

"This way." Donnie gently guided her to the kitchen area. Leo's eyes watched them over the hands he had now clasped in front of his mouth. "This is where the formula is kept that he needs." She tried to take in what he was showing her, but she literally jumped at every sound. When James sneezed she actually almost dropped the baby.

Mikey was also watching her, a small frown on his face before he sighed and shook his head a little. He stood up and made his way into the kitchen. "Good morning." He gave her a small smile. "If you want, I can hold him while Donnie shows you everything."

She vigorously shook her head no and backed up a step away from him once again holding the child firmly against her. She even turned her body away from Mikey in an effort to put more distance between the large turtle and the small one. Her eyes had a trapped look in them as she looked around again.

"Mikey." Leo softly called to his younger brother. "Back off and leave her be."

The turtle sighed again as he did as he was told and backed up a few steps. But still stayed close enough to make a mad dash for the child if it did slip out of her arms. "I was just trying to help."

"I know." Leo calmly replied.

"She is so timid." Holly murmured quietly to those at the table. "It's almost hard to believe she tried to brain Donnie with a bedpan." Brooklyn didn't hear her, but Donnie did and his flat gaze wandered over to give her a long look. She just grinned impishly and shrugged back at him.

Brooklyn herself was uncertainly reaching for one of the bottles before she leaned heavily onto the counter to steady herself. Her eyes were closed in pain as her breathing told all of them she was seriously struggling. Leo shook his head and looked at Donnie as he got to his feet. "She shouldn't be up, much less carrying the little one around."

Donnie rolled his eyes. "I tried to tell her that Leo, but she wanted to come out here and make the boy a bottle."

"He's my baby." Her quiet voice reached out. "I should be the one doing this."

Mikey stepped carefully closer again. "But you're still recovering too. Please, let me take him. You are having enough trouble just trying to stay on your own two feet. You'll never forgive yourself if you drop him."

As if his words were an omen, she dropped the bottle she had been reaching for and once again held her boy against her chest with both arms.

This time Mikey didn't back down as Leo also moved in. She was getting that trapped expression on her face again when she found herself surrounded by the three concerned brothers.

"Easy." Donnie murmured to her as Leo stepped next to her.

"Brooklyn, look at me." Leo told her in the gentlest tone he could manage. Slowly her head turned to where her wide eyes were locked onto his brown ones. "I'm getting a strong feeling that you think we are going to take him from you. Am I right?"

Ever so slowly her head nodded in agreement.

"Alright." He carefully bent over to retrieve the bottle that had hit the floor and tossed it to Mikey who put it in the sink so it could be rewashed. "I'm also going to assume that is what was told to you was going to happen." He calmly reached past her to get a fresh bottle out of the cupboard. "Correct?"

"They...they didn't tell me...but I heard them talk..."

Leo nodded as he reached back up for the cap. It was a start at least. And those few quiet words screamed to him that she hadn't been a willing participant. No wonder she was so scared. "Brooklyn, we've already told you that you will be safe here. But if you need to hear it again, I'll say it again. No harm will come to you in our home." She didn't answer as Leo reached in to grab the formula and placed it onto the counter. Then he turned to face her directly as his hand closed the door again. "And we have no desire to take your child. We are just trying to understand how this even happened to you." That same hand then reached out and he laid it gently on her shoulder. She flinched a little but didn't pull away as he gently turned her to face the breakfast table, and towards the little girl Lotus was still feeding. "We have our own little one to care for, and understand your desire to protect your child. When Mikey tells you he is just trying to help by holding the boy, he means it. He won't run off with him."

Brooklyn looked long and hard at the little girl, who was once again trying to smear her food into her hair. Leo chuckled at Lotus' slightly exasperated expression as she tried to hold those filthy hands away from the clean hair. Lotus lost that fight and Hope proudly grinned at her mother as little egg chunks now decorated those black strands. When he turned back to Brooklyn, she was also smiling at the scene.

Then she took a deep breath and looked at Mikey who was still waiting by the sink. "Y-you...you'll stay close?"

Mikey nodded with a small smile of his own. "I'll stay right here. Turtle promise."

Finally she nodded her agreement and Mikey couldn't hide the excitement as he walked over to her. Very carefully he took the bundle from her and gave the child a wide grin. "Hey little buddy! Ya miss me?" The answer he got was a hungry whimper. "Oh, so the grub is more important huh... I see how you are."

Leo backed away again as Brooklyn once again attempted to make Her son a bottle. A process that was going much smoother now that her hands weren't burdened with the tiny bundle. Leo still wasn't certain she should be up and he stayed close as Donnie quietly instructed her on how much to mix with the water. He placed himself strategically on her other side. Both brothers flanking her now incase if she did collapse, which by the way she was shaking was a reasonable thing to assume. Somehow she managed to get the formula made and turned back to Mikey who was gently rocking the child.

"Can I feed him?" Mikey asked her. "I can do that while you eat. I know you haven't had anything yet."

Once more doubt and apprehension filled her eyes. This time it was Lotus who stepped in. "An excellent suggestion Michelangelo." Lotus firmly said as she joined them. Leo's mate took the bottle from Brooklyn and passed it to the orange banded turtle. "Since you feel well enough to move about, there is no reason you can not join us at the table. Come." And Lotus then firmly guided her to the table and sat her down in an empty chair. Brooklyn only had time to look around bewildered as a plate was set in front of her and filled with food from the serving trays. "Eat." Lotus told her before returning to her own chair. The tone she took told everyone there that Lotus wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I'm going back to the lab." Donnie told Leo quietly as Mikey moved to his favorite recliner. "I've got some tests running and the results should be in shortly."

"Tests?" Leo looked at him curiously. "What kind of tests?"

"Just basic overall health assessments for both of them and a few other things. I'm trying to piece together this puzzle as much as I can, but it's not easy to do with her not willing to talk about it."

Leo nodded his understanding. "Just do what you can and keep me informed."

"Naturally." Donnie moved back towards the lab and was soon out of sight.

Leo rejoined his family at the table to find Brooklyn slowly eating her food, and Lotus sitting next to her watching out of the corner of her eye to make sure the brown haired woman did eat it.

"I bet you could use a nice hot shower." Holly smiled. "And a good hair washing. Those tangles must be getting on your nerves."

"That...would be nice." Brooklyn agreed. "I haven't had one...in a long while." Another small clue dropped. Apparently she hadn't been well cared for. As if Leo needed more confirmation on that besides her run down state.

"Let me go talk to Donnie." Holly got up out of her chair and picking up her now empty plate. "I'll see if he can come up with an idea of how we can do this without irritating your stomach too much. And when you're done I'll help you with your hair. Sponge baths can only do so much."

"I'll watch little Chase for you." Mikey cheerfully told the new mother. "I don't mind."

Brooklyn's fork stopped before it reached her mouth and she looked over at Mikey with a confused look. "Chase?"

Mikey looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I just didn't know what you named him so I dubbed him Chase." Then that boyish grin lit up his face. "Because if I would have picked him up to feed him again I'd have everyone chasing me with bedpans."

Muffled laughter echoed around the table at that as Brooklyn blinked a few times, then blushed. Then, ever so slowly, a smile found it's way on her face. "I...I like that name." She quietly admitted. "I wasn't sure what to name him."

"Well then," Mikey looked down at the little boy "Chase it is. Hi Chase, nice to meet you. My name is Mikey."

"You nut." Raph rolled his eyes, but smiled in good humored tolerance.

Brooklyn also smiled, then quietly returned to her meal with Leo's eyes watching her. He was wondering how much longer this woman would hold that mantle of silence around her.


	5. Chapter 5

Brooklyn had to admit, this warm water did feel nice. Even if she could only sit in a small amount of it. Donatello had wrapped her up the best he could, but still advised that she try not to get her stomach too wet. So that left her sitting in a tub with the water level stopping a couple of inches below the bottom end of her surgical cut.

She also had to get used to being helped, and that was the bigger hurdle for this woman to get over. She was used to being naked in front of strangers, because it had been forced on her for months, but she wasn't used to the kindness these women showed her. After so long of being treated like a lab rat, she was having a hard time to adjust.

Lotus and Holly took it in stride though. With kind, gentle words they led her to the bathroom after Lotus put her daughter down for her morning nap. And they kept that same kind demeanor with her as they helped her undress and get her into the tub. Lotus then went on the hunt for clean clothes for her to wear as Holly fished out the soap, shampoo and a wash rag for her.

"Thank you." Brooklyn murmured, a little embarrassed at all the attention.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Holly smiled at her. "There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Take your time and get cleaned up. I'm sure you'll feel a lot better."

The small girl just nodded as she poured some liquid soap onto the rag given her. The floral fragrance immediately hit her nose and she breathed it in deeply. Roses, it smelled like roses. She smiled a little as she rubbed the rough cloth over her arm.

"That's Lotus' soap." Holly told her as she sat down on the toilet with a grin. "Leo loves it. He always makes sure she has plenty in stock. I'm going to hang out with you, ok? Just incase something happens."

Brooklyn just nodded. She had heard Donatello firmly inform the women to not leave her alone for that same reason. And it actually eased her mind a little. She still wasn't feeling good at all. She was beginning to wonder if she would ever get her strength back. After being confined to one room for so long, she was surprised how much the little activity she did this morning already wore her down. And she was sure her ordeal she went through here didn't help matters.

But the biggest surprise was where she actually found herself. That, Brooklyn still couldn't wrap her head around. She was young, in her early twenties, but that didn't mean she wasn't informed. She knew right off the bat who the turtle was in the lab area when she woke up. The story had been going around for years that they had changed their ways and now fought against the one whom they had served, and when the story had been updated to include the fact that they somehow got rid of the tyrant that had ruled here for so long, she wasn't sure if she should believe it.

She believed it firmly now. And not because of what they had so far done for her. She believed it from all the talk she heard of the guards who took her to be... Brooklyn closed her eyes, trying to force her mind away from those memories. She didn't want to remember that anymore. Shouldn't have too since she escaped that place. She didn't want to remember the bright light that shone on her, the pain as they violated her over and over again. Their laughter at her cries of pain, protests and pleas to stop. They didn't stop. Sometimes it felt they rammed the equipment into her as hard as they could just to get those tortured sounds out of her. And all she could do was exactly that as her body fought the restraints, pushed to do so by the pain. The frequency of it finally slowed when they had planted the seed they had been trying to sow. Once her body finally accepted the pregnancy, that brought her some peace from the daily torments.

"Brooklyn?"

Her eyes opened again at the soft call of her name, and only now did she realize that she had been quietly crying. Her bath now forgotten as she wept through her memories.

Lotus was kneeling next to the tub now, fresh clothes having been put on the counter next to the sink. Holly was standing behind her, watching with worried eyes. "Ease your mind child. Leonardo is correct. No harm shall come to you here. We only wish to help." The older woman reached into the water and handed her the dropped washrag. "Finish your bath and then we will aid you with your hair." A soft smile formed on her face. "Holly already has claimed the task of helping to brush it out."

Brooklyn nodded and wiped her eyes before she focused solely on cleaning the accumulated grime off of her body. From then on she refused to let her mind wander back down that path again.

True to their word, they helped her with the task of her severely neglected hair. Lotus drained the filthy water before holding her steady to take the strain off of her stomach as the worn girl leaned back. Holly ran the detachable shower head over her hair and lathered it into a thick soapy lather before rinsing it out, then repeated that process. The amount of dirt that came out of it shocked Brooklyn as she watched the dirty water flow down the drain. God...how long had it been since she had been this clean? She didn't know...

Lotus then held her steady as she got back to her feet and they silently helped to dress the now very tired woman. If Lotus hadn't been holding her up, Brooklyn was sure she would have collapsed her legs were shaking so bad. "Almost done child." Lotus told her in that same soothing tone as she was set down onto a stool, Holly already had the brush in her hand and carefully ran it through the length of her very long hair. Carefully pulling out months worth of snarls, snags and tangles. By the time Holly set the brush down, Brooklyn was leaning on Lotus, barely able to hold herself up.

"Come. We will bring you back to Donatello's lab and there you may rest."

The tired girl was barely able to get out a nod of agreement, but as exhausted as she was, she did have to admit that bath made her feel a whole lot better.

.

.

Donnie stared at the printout he held in his hand. Stared at it a long time in the silence of the lab, his mind refusing to take in what he was seeing in front of him. Then his legs gave out and he collapsed in his chair, and almost tipped himself over again he fell into it so hard. "This isn't possible..." His lips muttered out into the empty room. He could double check his readings he supposed, but he knew they were right. He took his glasses off and and tossed them onto his desk before he brought a tired hand to his eyes and rubbed them, still holding that printout in his other hand. Again, more questions than answers were on that paper.

Everything checked out fine with the baby, his mother not so much. Well it was nothing serious anyway. Just an anomaly he was still looking into. But it wasn't the health of the child that had Donnie wondering about his sanity. It was what those very in depth tests Donnie had run to make sure the child was healthy revealed. He didn't even begin to know how to tell the others.

He took a long, deep breath to steady his nerves before he put the glasses back on his face and stood up. He didn't know how, but he still had too. All that he could tell them for certain was that things were much more complicated than at first thought.

.

.

Mikey had finished feeding Chase and was now just sitting in his recliner, holding him as a soft hum came from his throat to reach Leo's ears. Leo looked up from the book he was reading and looked at Mikey curiously. "I haven't heard that in a long time..." Leo tilted his head at Mikey. "Father used to hum that song to us."

"Yeah..." Mikey looked a little embarrassed. "It was my favorite song. I never forgot it. Not even when...we went bad..." Leo's little brother sighed. "I used to hum it to myself when I was alone in my room."

Leo really didn't know what to say to that, so he didn't say anything.

It was Raph who broke the solemn mood that suddenly seemed to wash over their little group. "I hate to admit it, but he is a cute little guy."

"Of course he is!" Mikey brightened back up again. "All of us turtles are cute! Well, except you. You left cute behind a long time ago. Now you are just ugly."

What Mikey was going to say next was muffled by the couch pillow that smacked against his face.

"Watch the baby." Was all Leo said as he returned to his book.

Mikey and Raph just glared at each other a moment before Mikey tucked the pillow under his arm, then he happily resumed his humming. Holly and Brooklyn were still in the bathroom and Mikey was obviously taking advantage of that, getting all the cuddle time he could with the little boy. Leo's eyes moved to the musically inclined turtle over the edge of the book, hiding a smile. Mikey had been the same way with Hope, taking every chance he could to run off with her. Difference here was that Leo and Lotus didn't mind it...too much. It did become annoying at times.

It had amazed Leo how much Mikey loved children, and even he had to admit that his little brother was very good with Hope, and now Chase. He seemed to know how to calm them if they were fussy, and to know how to get Hope to connect with her inner mischief maker. More than once they had caught Mikey trying to teach the girl something that involved pranks, and she was happily watching and giggling.

"You are a very curious little boy, you know that?" Mikey broke off his humming again to look at the child. "You are looking at everything."

Leo had to agree as he watched. The baby was looking over at Raph as he twirled a sai in his fingers out of boredom, his brown eyes mesmerized by the spin of the weapon."

Raph also caught on and moved his hand up, the eyes followed. He brought the twirling sai lower down and the head tilted downward with it. Then he moved it left and right and again the eyes followed. "Kid _is_ curious." He muttered in mild shock. "I didn't think they registered stuff like that so soon. Hope didn't do that until she was older."

"It's more common than you think." Donnie said quietly as he walked over to join them. Leo put his book down again as he approached. "Donatello warned me about that when they came after Hope was born. Apparently all of their children could follow the movements that early as well." Then he swallowed hard. "And I have an explanation on the curiosity too."

"We are all ears bro." Mikey grinned at him.

Donnie looked at Mikey as he rubbed the back of his head, then he looked at Leo and Raph. Then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "It's only natural for him to be as curious as he is...because he's your son Mikey. I assume he get's his curiosity from you."

Silence filled the room as they all three stared at him. Hard. Mikey was even struck speechless as his jaw dropped.

 _"What!"_ Raph roared as he got to his feet.

 _"How!"_ Leo roared as he did the same.

Mikey however was looking in another direction, his face pale and arms now shaking slightly. Holly quickly came and took the baby before it was dumped on the floor by the shell shocked turtle. Brooklyn stood where the hallway opened up into the living room, supported by an equally stunned Lotus. Brooklyn's own eyes wide and a hand held against her mouth in the same shock they were all feeling.


	6. Chapter 6

"How could you..." Were the first whispered words that came out of Brooklyn's mouth. Her brown eyes locked onto Mikey as he still sat stunned in the chair.

Between the words he just heard and the accusation he heard in her tone, poor Mikey had no idea what to think as he looked at her, still wide eyed. "W-what?" He slowly got up out of the recliner.

" _How could you!_ " She screamed it at him next. "How could you help them do that to me!"

Leo could actually feel the hurt in Mikey as those words slammed home. He looked like a kicked dog as he struggled to wrap his head around everything coming in at him all at once. "I-I...didn't...I would never..."

 _"Liar!"_ She screamed at him again and Mikey actually flinched. He looked at his brothers with those confused, and now hurt eyes. His normal happy, childlike soul that had taken a long time to come back to the surface now replaced by a deep sadness Leo had hoped to never see in him again. With that one accusation Brooklyn had opened a door that should have remained closed.

"I...didn't do anything..." Mikey whispered out in a defeated tone. His blue eyes settled on Chase, who was still in Holly's arms. His breathing picked up as the moisture built in his eyes, then he abruptly turned and ran out of the lair, slamming the door behind him.

Leo didn't get the chance to go after him, because Brooklyn now turned her anger towards Holly. "Give me my baby back!"

Holly was looking at the door Mikey had just ran out of, and turned back to face Brooklyn's full fury as the girl, stumbling now, closed in on her. But she hit a wall before she even got close enough to try and gouge Holly's eyes out. Well, not quite a wall, but Raph came close enough to one. And he had firmly placed himself between his mate and the very distraught female. "Lady, _you_ need to calm the fuck down."

"Give me my baby!"

"She will, when you calm down."

Leo rubbed his face in frustration, it was a damn repeat of the other night. At least she didn't have any bedpans on her this time.

Lotus was trying to catch the furious little bundle of woman, and dodging wildly waving hands that tried to smack her back off again. Oh yes, definitely a repeat of the other day.

"That's it..." Leo growled under his breath as he moved in. He calmly picked up Lotus and moved her out of the way before he glared down at Brooklyn. "You will stop this crap and sit down."

"Fuck you!" Her hand went to slap him, and stared at it in shock when it came to an abrupt halt. Because he now had a firm grip on her wrist. She blinked a little, obviously she had expected him to just stand there and let her slap him. Not happening lady. Instead he twisted her around until that offending arm was bent behind her and pushed against her lower back.

"Leo..." Donnie cautioned.

"Oh hush!" He snapped back. "I'm not going to hurt her. But I'm also not going to let her run amok in my home." Even as those words left his lips he was guiding her to the couch. He clenched his jaw in frustration, and a bit of pain, when she got a good stomp in on his toe. Still, he kept that firm hold on her as he finished the trip, then spun her back around and pushed her just enough to send her plopping onto the cushion. Before she could even get back to her feet, there was a tip of a katana blade under her chin. That stopped her panic as she stared at it, her eyes wide.

"Now." Leo said in a calm voice that barely hinted at his irritation. "You will stay there until you calm down. And once you calm down you will tell us exactly what happened to you and then we will go from there. But if you don't hold your tongue on blaming my brother for something he obviously had nothing to do with, I will staple your mouth shut. Is that understood?"

"You will do no such thing!" Lotus snapped him. She walked towards the couch, stopping long enough to push the sword down before she sat on the couch next to Brooklyn. "Forgive him. He does have a habit of letting his emotions control him on occasion, which results in this childish behavior."

Leo gave her a flat look as his sword returned to his sheath. "She starts screaming and yelling accusations around without giving us a chance to explain...but yet I'm the childish one."

"You know..." Raph grinned a little. "I kinda agree with Lotus. You do tend to flip your shit quick sometimes."

"Did I ask you?"

"No."

"Then shut up."

Raph just snickered as he sat back into the easy chair he had been sitting in earlier.

"Leonardo is correct however." Lotus told Brooklyn who was shaking as she sat there, her eyes now wide. You could also clearly see the terror in them. Leo sighed, ok, maybe he did overreact a bit. "Michelangelo would never aid anyone with causing harm. Especially not if forcing a child was to be the intended result."

"B-but...Donatello just said..."

"Brooklyn." Donnie knelt down on her other side. "All I said was that he was the father, I never said he was so willingly. It was just as much of a shock to him as it was to you."

"B-but, then...how..."

"That," Leo said firmly "is what we need to find out. Brooklyn, I know this is not something you want to talk about, but it's not about just you anymore. Someone is out there doing this, and now my brother is caught in the middle of it too."

"Speaking of," Raph got to his feet "someone better go find him before he does something stupid. Not so sure he is thinking right."

Leo nodded his agreement. "I'll go with you." He looked at the slightly scared expression he was still getting from the quiet woman on the couch, who was still shaking. "Maybe she'll open up without me being here."

Together the brothers made their way towards the door, Leo rubbing his face in frustration as they did. About the only good thing about this mess is that he thought he might know where his little brother had run off too. And once he was in the tunnels he turned his steps in that direction.

.

.

Mikey huddled in the corner of the long unused room, his knees drawn up tightly against him as he sat with a wide eyed and vacant stare. All around him were the ruins of a place that had long ago brought him happiness. A place where at one time he enjoyed the innocence of youth. You couldn't even tell anymore that this place had once held security for the turtle, and love. Now all that remained were the old, worn and broken weapons that laid where they had fallen years ago. Useful for nothing besides holding them to memories. Mikey was in the dojo he had so long ago been forcibly removed from by Shredder.

He sat not far from where his father had fallen, trying to protect them from the tyrant who had invaded their home. Every so often his eyes would wander to the cairn they had laid over what remained of the once, and still, loved rat after they broke free from the life of torment forced on them. Even the walking stick Mikey had placed on top of it was still there.

They didn't come here often. It just hurt too much to make regular trips to this quiet spot in the tunnels. But this was where Mikey found himself drawn to now. He didn't know what he was hoping to find here as he still huddled in the corner. Maybe he was drawn here because there had been a time when when he was blind to the cruelties of the world, and this had been the place that held those hardships at bay. Until the day the dojo wall was blasted in and his world had changed forever. In the span of a few minutes their father was dead on the floor and they had been ripped from their home.

Never had he thought he would experience that feeling again. Not even after everything they had been through since then. Once again the cruelty invaded his life, in the worst possible way he could imagine. Not only was he a father of a child he didn't even know about, but what Brooklyn had accused him of doing... It broke him... He wasn't that way anymore... He wasn't...

"I thought I might find you here." Leo said softly as he and Raph walked in. Leo felt a sharp pang in his stomach as he saw his brother, a lethargic, trembling dull eyed turtle. He didn't get an answer as he walked closer to his brother, not even those blue eyes moved in his direction, but kept staring out into something only Mikey could see. Leo just calmly sat next to his brother before leaning his back against the wall. "I think I might have come here too."

"Having a hard time taking it in huh?" Raph leaned on the wall on Mikey's other side. "Can't say I blame ya. It is a shitty way to find out."

Only now Mikey looked slowly at the brothers who flanked him. The hurt and sadness filling his eyes. "I...didn't...I mean...I didn't do...what she said I did..."

Leo sighed as he leaned his head against the wall. "We know you didn't Mikey."

Mikey sat then in silence, his eyes focused on one spot on the far wall. A spot that had his attention because it just happened to be in front of him. "This isn't how I wanted to become a father..."

"I don't think that's how anyone does little brother." Raph's tone was soft, his own eyes lost in thought. Then he shook himself out of it. "But you are good with the little tyke, I do have to admit that."

"But it's all wrong..." Mikey dropped his head on his knees. "Everything about this is wrong... I don't even know her, and she hates me now."

"Probably." Leo admitted as he pulled up a knee, then draped his elbow over it. "But that doesn't mean you can't make an effort to change that. Take the time to show her you aren't what she thinks you are."

Raph grinned at the youngest then. "You might be dodging a few bedpans for a while though."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Enough with the bedpans already."

"Oh hell no, that shit was funny. Anyway, you got a son little brother. Yeah, the rugrat was kinda thrust on ya all of a sudden. It's a bit of a shocker. I think we all understand that. Runnin' out here to hide from it ain't gonna do ya any good either bro. get up, go home, and grab that bull by the horns."

A small smile found it's way on Mikey's face. "Don't you mean grab that woman by the bedpans?"

Leo tried really hard not to roll his eyes again. "Listen bud, don't let her fear, anger and confusion get to you. She just lashed out at the first thing she could. And the first clear target that popped up in her crosshairs just happened to be you."

Mikey lowered his head again as he thought that over. "I don't know Leo... I'm not sure I should even try." He dropped his forehead on his knees that were still pulled tight against his chest. "She probably won't even let me near Chase now..."

"So quick to give up already Mikey?" Leo asked gently. "That's not like you."

"That's a big thing to fight through Leo." Mikey sighed as he lifted his head up. "I don't even know where to start."

Leo got up and lowered a hand to his confused brother. "We can start by getting you two in the same room together, and see where it goes from there."

"Baby steps." Raph nodded as Leo pulled Mikey back to his feet. "Gotta start small before you can think big."

"I didn't know you knew how to take baby steps Raph." Mikey said. "Considering those big clodhoppers of yours that you call feet." Then he smiled. It wasn't his usual big cheesy grin that usually found it's way onto his face, but it wasn't that despair either.

"Ha, fucking ha." Raph muttered before pulling Mikey into a headlock. "Always with the jokes." The big turtle gave the smaller one a quick noogie before turning him loose again. Then he just wrapped an arm around those shoulders that didn't seem to droop so heavy anymore. "C'mon you little pain, let's go home."

Leo just followed them, his eyes still worriedly watching the new father. Mikey was always quick to adapt, most of the time. But there were limits even to his normally easy going demeanor. Leo couldn't help but wonder if he would be able to bounce back from this if Brooklyn completely shunned him away.


	7. Chapter 7

Donnie was to the point where he was going to walk over to the nearest wall, paint a perfect circle on it, fill it with bullseye lines...and bang his head repeatedly into the center circle until he passed out. Brooklyn was seriously driving him to that point...

"Just leave me alone!" Brooklyn shouted as she held her baby close to her Holly had finally handed over. Mikey's baby. They had hoped letting her hold the boy would calm her down some more. They were wrong. She sat huddled on the far side of the couch, her eyes spilling tears as she tried to scoot as far away from them as she could without toppling over the armrest.

"Brooklyn," Lotus tried for the upteeth time to calm her down "please child. If the answers were not important to us, we would not ask."

"But what about what is important to me!" She snipped back. "I don't care about any of you! For all I know you are sleeping in the same bed as them too!"

"Now, you know that's not true." Holly gently admonished.

"Do I?" Brooklyn's eyes narrowed. "All I know is what is being said on the streets!"

"And what do those words tell you?" Lotus calmly asked her. "Do they tell you that they still work for Shredder? Do they whisper that they go out each night to spread discord and torment? Or do they say that the turtles are no longer disciples of him and have aided to bring him down? Perhaps you heard the version where they have pushed his teachings away, but still must hide in the darkness because so many, like you, still do not trust them. There are so many versions to be heard up there, here you see the truth. You are allowed a glimpse into who they truly are, and yet you coddle those words and use them to justify something that has happened to you. Use your eyes woman, not the rumors that have been fed to you."

"If they had wanted to hurt you, they would have done it already." Holly added. "Leo allowed you to stay in our home after Donnie fixed you up. And Mikey...well... Even I can see that Chase is growing on him. He really doesn't deserve what you are trying to throw at him."

"I didn't deserve what had been done to me!" Came the snippy reply.

Donnie rolled his eyes. Again, hints. That's all they could get out of her were frustrating hints. Though they gave Donnie and idea at what had happened, along with the fact that she popped out a mini Mikey, it was still not much to go on. He had looked over the equipment the ninjas brought in, but they had been carefully cleared of all the data that was stored on them. Apparently during the raid someone had kept their cool long enough to make sure Donnie couldn't recover anything.

"It's ok Holly." They all turned to the quiet voice that spoke. Leo and Raph were walking back in the lair with Mikey. He still looked a bit wild around the eyes as he looked at the woman huddled on the couch. "I understand why she hates me." Mikey then turned and started to head down the hallway to his room. "Donnie? Can I have a word with you bro?"

"Sure thing Mikey." Donnie followed.

He stopped in Mikey's room and watched as the troubled turtle moved to the dresser, opened it and began to take some things out and placed them on the bed.

"What are you doing Mikey?" Donnie asked puzzled after a few moments of watching.

"Brooklyn is up and moving around now." Mikey answered as he kept pulling things out. "Is she healed enough to come out of the lab?"

"She should be, as long as she doesn't pull these freakout fits too often."

"Then she's going to need a place to sleep." Mikey pulled out a bag and began to put his things in it. "She can have my room."

"And where are you going?"

Mikey just shrugged. "Donnie, she doesn't like me. We both know that. No matter what you try to tell her, she sees me as the cause of her suffering. Maybe it would be better if I left the lair for awhile."

"Mikey, no. This is your home."

"Yeah, but she has nowhere else to go. I don't want her to be out there with Chase." He zipped the bag shut then looked straight at Donnie. "I would rather be the one looking for a place to stay. Just...do me a favor and make sure she doesn't hurt herself again, ok?"

"Leo!" Donnie pleaded with the eldest as he stepped into the room. "Do something!"

Leo shook his head slightly as his eyes bored into his little brother. "Don, I'm not sure what I can do here. He's made up his mind...and in a way he does have a point."

Mikey sighed as he looked at both of them. "She's been hurt enough. I don't want to add to that. I won't go far Donnie, I'll go bunk with the ninjas for awhile. I'm sure they'll have a room for me. Maybe you could come by later and hook me some things up?" He smiled a little at the purple banded turtle. "Not my area of expertise. I'm more of a break it kinda guy than a get it to work one."

Donnie narrowed his eyes in the anger he was feeling. Why should his brother have to up and leave? Why couldn't this closemouthed, hard headed, stubborn, over reactive bitch leave? Leo read his expression and answered those questions before Donnie could even launch into his tirade. "Because she is the mother of his son Donnie. He's not going to kick her out."

Mikey just gave Donnie an apologetic shrug as he lifted the bag off of his bed. "Just...promise me you'll keep an eye on them."

Donnie sighed in defeat as Mikey left the room and headed towards the living area. "Fine..." Donnie shook his head. In mere minutes all of their worlds had been turned upside down, and Donnie wasn't liking it.

The youngest turtle paused in the living room and looked a little uncomfortable as he faced Brooklyn. "I...don't suppose you'll let me hold him for a minute..."

Brooklyn just glared at him as she held Chase close to her.

"I didn't think so..." He turned his head sadly away a moment. Looking at, something. Donnie had no idea really what Mikey was looking at as he stared off in the distance. Then he turned back to her. "Look, I won't bother you anymore. Since I seem to just make you uncomfortable, I'm going to leave. Donnie says you are ok to leave the lab now, so...you can have my room. It's a nice warm spot. It'll keep Chase cozy and they can get you whatever you need if you just ask them." He looked longingly at the little turtle she held a moment before he silently turned away. Without another word, Mikey left out the door that led to the barracks.

Donnie just gave the woman on the couch a long look. "I hope you're happy now." He grumbled to her and stormed off to his lab. He really didn't care to hear her answer, and the slam of his door let everyone know that.

.

.

Brooklyn walked hesitantly into the bedroom, Chase still held tight against her. She wasn't sure what to expect when she entered the room that had been offered her...by the one who had fathered her baby. Her eyes wandered over the surprisingly...soft...room. It was still a guy's room, complete with the messes and clutter you would expect from most bachelors. But it also seemed inviting. The colors were warm and cheery, not as much orange you would expect. And the little bit he did have in here was mixed with soft browns and tans. Even a few other colors.

Most of that color pallette could be found on the walls. Shelves were on every single one, in some areas they were three deep. And they were all filled with...stuffed animals of all things... And what couldn't fit on the shelves were crammed on top of the dresser and some even looked happily at her from the bed. And when she accidently stepped on one that had fallen to the floor, she actually smiled a little at the squeak of protest that came out of it.

"He's a sucker for stuffed animals." Leonardo smiled a little as he wheeled the crib in for her. Even he had to stop and move some out of the way. Brooklyn watched this large turtle carefully. He seemed nice enough, but lord he had a temper when he snapped, and it seemed like she was the one always setting him off. Didn't exactly put him high on her comfort list either.

But now he seemed almost gentle as he picked up the stuffed animals from the floor and gently placed them back on the dresser. "He's been collecting them...for a while now. Since shortly after we met Lotus if I remember right." Leonardo held one in particular and looked down at it as he brushed the dirt off. "We always teased him about them. Asked him quite a few times why he insists on collecting something we found useless. You can't use them in a fight really, and they seem to take up all the free room he has in here to just sit there, and collect dust. Which in return sends Lotus into a fit because she hates dust..." Leonardo smiled as he placed that one too on the dresser. "Nothing practical about them, but he loves them." He then began to push the crib closer to the wall by the head of the bed.

Brooklyn just carefully sat down on the bed, that was very comfortable. Then again, after sleeping so long on a thin, worn mattress before being moved here to sleep in the lab...a bed of nails would feel comfortable.

"Had that mattress specially made for him, so sorry if it seems a little...soft." Leonardo adjusted the crib in the corner. "He likes a nice cozy pillow top and it's hard to find one that can accommodate his shell. So we just made one extra extra fluffy for him. Works pretty good. Holly likes to take naps in here on occasion. says it's like sleeping on a cloud."

A sigh escaped the very weary woman before she turned and looked at Leonardo. "Why are you telling me this? Do I look like I care?"

"No, actually you look very tired. Which is understandable considering what you been through today." He paused as he turned to look at her directly now that he was done setting up the crib for her. "And I'm telling you this because you are right. You don't know us, you have no reason to trust us. Maybe to you we really are are the bad guys here working with whoever did this to you. You have no proof to say otherwise." He looked around the room, his eyes soft. "Though I seriously doubt someone who has a room full of teddy bears and a cloud bed would be capable of something like that. Here is a little bit you can see of who he is." He stepped over to brooklyn and reached for the baby.

"Don't you touch him!" She flared. "You keep your filthy hands off of Chase!"

The look he gave her firmly reminded her of the feel of metal under her chin. "Don't start with me Brooklyn. I've had about enough of your temper tantrums. I'm going to take Chase, and I'm going to put him in the crib and you are going to lay down and get some rest while he is sleeping." This time she let him take the boy when he reached for him. True to his word he just calmly laid Chase down in the crib. Then to her surprise, he helped settle her down onto the mattress, then he covered her with the thick down filled comforter. Brooklyn had to admit she felt warm and snug in this over fluffy bed.

Leonardo then knelt on one knee next to the bed as he tucked her in. "I want you to think about something. If my brother is such the monster you believe he is...why then do you still call your son by the name Mikey gave him?"

She just stared at him, not knowing what to say as he calmly watched her back. Then the moment was broken when James came into the room. "Leo! We need you for this one, we think we might have found...another one of those," He jerked his head towards Brooklyn who was quietly watching "places. Hoping that with you guys with us we might have more luck."

Leonardo just nodded at his comrade before James disappeared through the door again. The large turtle laid a hand on hers a moment. "Just...think about what I said, ok? We can talk later if you want."

This time Brooklyn nodded as she watched him go. She laid there for a long while after he left, her eyes walking all over the room before her tired aching body finally called her to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

"Get that damn door open!" Leo roared over the noise. "Now!"

Donnie was working on the locking mechanism even as Leo bellowed out that command, he was just having a more difficult time than normal with it. Even Raph could feel the frustration in his younger brother as he fumbled around with his gadgets.

"Fuck it." Raph grumbled and he spun suddenly, bringing his foot around fast and hard over the mumbling turtle. It connected with the door and it few off of it's hinges to crash against the floor and skidded quite a ways before it's momentum finally played out as it stopped on the other side of the lobby area...some fifty feet away.

"Go!" Leo snapped at his team, pushing Lotus and Holly through the doorway after his brothers stormed in to make sure it was clear. After beating a few heads in, it was. Seemed not all of the goons here had made it out in time after all, and they were probably the last ones because they had been trying to wipe the systems clean. Much like the other building had been.

"This way!" Donnie led them on now as James and the ninja they brought with them started flooding into the lobby behind them. There they could easily hold the press of men back, since only a few could come through the door at a time. That bottleneck left them very vulnerable, and since there were no other windows and doors, they had no choice but to go that route if they wanted to salvage anything from this laboratory. The turtle ninja wasn't about to let that happen.

Mikey ran alongside Raph, his usually jolly demeanor still somewhat dulled by everything the poor guy had to deal with in such a short time. If Raph were honest with himself, and only himself, he actually missed his little brother's puns, jokes and wild battle flair. It wasn't like Mikey to be this quiet, and Raph didn't like it. It reminded him too much of the depression that took hold after they left Shredder, and that one took him years to get over.

"Here!" Donnie almost snapped as they rounded a corner. "These are the research and lab rooms. All of them need to be searched."

The group nodded and dove into action, each turtle kicking in a door while Holly and Lotus kept a lookout.

What Raph found on the other side of his door was a room set up like a lab. The equipment was sterile, seemingly pristine. But he already knew from experience that it more than likely had been used, who knows how many times. He just didn't know what exactly had gone on in this one. Well...that was why they were here, to find answers.

A low growl slipped out of his throat as he stepped farther in. His sai twirling in his hands a moment before they came to a stop at his sides. Now firmly encased in the metal reinforced leather holders attached to his belt as he began to quickly search the area for any clues. What immediately caught his attention was that the back wall, and the massive refrigeration unit found along it. He growled again once he noticed what type of cooling system it was. The small square doors plastered all over it in neat, orderly lines hinted very strongly at the fact that this wasn't used to store groceries. And he knew exactly what they were used to store.

A small part of him hoped to find nothing as he began a quick methodical search of each of the chambers. Knowing that finding something meant finding an unfortunate soul who had managed to grab someone's attention the wrong way...and died from it. And given the setup of the room and what little they could pry out of Brook, it was more than likely a painful end on top of everything else.

Another reason he was hoping desperately that these things were empty was because it would be a harsh reminder of what he had once been. There had been a time when he and his brothers had filled countless of these cold storage compartments on their own. It was something none of them wished to be reminded of in any way. But it wasn't to be that way. He opened the next to last door, and found a body inside.

"Dammit..." Came the whispered curse, even as he looked the body over. Another innocent life lost, for reasons none of them understood. Not yet anyway. He took in every detail he could of her, even taking a few quick pictures. Anything that would help Donnie sort this puzzle out. And he felt a stab of pity enter his normally stern heart as he started his grim task.

She had been young, didn't look to be much older than twenty. Her black hair had probably been once full of life and luster, now it was as dull as her lifeless brown eyes. The large incision on her abdomen was tinted blue around the edges as his eyes wandered down her frame. He didn't know if this had been the cause of her death, but he had a feeling that it more than likely contributed towards it.

"What'd they do to ya sweetheart?" He murmured even as he still collected whatever evidence he could from her. Necessity driving him on to pull a few strands of her hair and tucking it into a small zippy bag Donnie had given him before he tucked it away. Their instructions had been clear and very precise. Gather any evidence, be it lab equipment or biological samples. Which was why the turtles were doing this instead of the women. None of them wanted Holly or Lotus to see what they might find. "What on earth did they want with ya..." He shook his head, now collecting blood samples from her, a bit hard to do since she was frozen, before he trimmed her fingernails and collected the clippings.

All of this took just mere moments, speed being essential here. There was still fighting out in the compound. The shouts and calls still echoing to him as he finished his grim task. Once he had everything he could gather, it was all carefully tucked away into his pouch and he gave the woman the courtesy of at least closing her unseeing eyes for her before she pushed her slab back in and moved on to the last door.

It was opened and this one wasn't empty either. But this one was a bit more odd to him. For one, it was completely covered with a white sheet, and it was small. He swallowed hard at how small it actually was. Remembering quite clearly the dramatic entrance Brooklyn had with her arrival into their home. The cut on the deceased woman's abdomen now making sense to him as he unwillingly stripped the sheet off.

Not even this battle hardened turtle was prepared for what he found.

It was supposed to be another turtle infant, that he knew right off the bat. What he wasn't prepared for was the grossly misformed body that had no chance in hell of surviving. He didn't know earlier what had causes the poor girl's demise, but the extremely jagged and in some points spike like protrusions that was supposed to be the carapace gave him a good clue as to what the exact cause was. And that wasn't even the worst of it.

It had too many limbs, most in areas they shouldn't be. One stump of what appeared to be an arm coming out of it's chest while a leg somehow grew in the middle of the extremely crooked back. Still, even this wasn't what bothered him the most. It was the eyes. Somehow they ended up perfectly formed when everything else, including organs that grew on the outside when they should have been safely protected on the inside. And they too were open, clearly letting him see the emerald green color that was just as dull and lifeless as the unknown woman's. Eyes that were reflections of his.

Raph stumbled back from it. His own eyes wide with shock and disgust at what he was looking at. He knew, he somehow knew without Donnie running needed tests that this one had been his. Numbness took over as he struggled to deal with this, dulling his reflexes and resulting in him crashing into a table that still held various tools and instruments. Raph didn't even flinch when it all crashed noisily to the floor. All he could do was back up, his eyes still locked in that small body that somehow sprung from him.

He was at the far end of the room, shaking violently, eyes still held by the tiny body when the others came rushing in. They were expecting trouble, not watching the large turtle slump to the floor, finally covering his head with his arms as it dropped to his knees. The gaze now broken from his gruesome discovery.

It had been his child...

His child...

The hands that touched him as he huddled on the floor did so with concern. Holly's soft voice reaching his ears as he shook. "Raph? What's wrong? What happened?"

Raph couldn't answer her, he didn't know how to answer her. He just sat, and shook.

It was Donnie who quickly found out what had maybe upset his older brother to this extreme, and his tone was firm when he adrressed Lotus who was next to Mikey as they walked closer. "Get Mikey out of here, he doesn't need to see this."

"What?" Mikey was confused. "Why? What is it?"

"Just go!" Donnie almost roared, then calmed himself again and spoke in a gentler tone. "Go Mikey. You've got enough to deal with right now. This doesn't need to be added onto it."

The youngest still looked more than a little confused when Leo walked over to him and helped Lotus push him out of the room. Then he turned with a sigh to tend to Raph who was still on the floor, a worried Holly kneeling next to him.

Holly looked up at the blue masked turtle as knelt on Raph's other side. His tone understanding but firm. "Raph, we need you to get a hold of yourself. Don't fall apart on me here brother, please. We'll talk when we get home, but right now we need to finish what we came here to do and we need to go."

For a moment, it seemed like neither Leo or Holly could get through to him. He refused to move besides his shaking. Refused to come out of his self imposed isolation there on the floor. And when his head raised both individuals leaned back from him, their eyes slightly widened.

His green eyes were blazing with hate, disgust pain and anger as he looked at Leo, then nodded his agreement as he forced himself to his feet. "Fine, but I'm making a special request." His eyes were hard as he looked around. Then narrowed as they found Donnie as he still worked, his own face pale.

Leo raised a questioning ridge as he helped Holly to her feet. "And that would be?"

Raph's face twisted into a snarl as the words were forced through clenched teeth. "I want this place destroyed. All of it. I want this motherfucking hellhole to burn to the fucking ground." Then he spun on his heel and stormed from the room. Holly gave Leo a slightly shocked look, then followed her lover from the room. More than likely to try and calm him down.

Leo just sighed as he rubbed his eyes. This was rapidly turning into something he wasn't sure his family could handle. 'Donnie? How much longer?"

"I'm already done." Came the quiet answer, the lean turtle now standing next to him now.

"Good. Let's get out of here." Then Leo's eyes hardened. "And I agree with Raph. Bring it down. No more will this be used for twisted experiments. Do what you need to do to make it happen."

Donnie just nodded in quiet agreement as they left the room. But the lanky turtle was also wondering how many more of these compounds were out there.


	9. Chapter 9

Leo sighed as he entered their home. The weight of what had happened still lying heavy on his shoulders. The others followed him, all of them silent as they filed in. It was as if they were all on auto pilot as they stripped off their war gear, hanging weapons up. For once Leo didn't make a fuss about cleaning them first. That wasn't what his family needed right now.

"Get some rest. All of you." His tone was quiet, partly so he wouldn't wake his by now sleeping daughter, or Brooklyn and the baby. He nodded to Daniel's mother. Silently thanking her for keeping watch on their home while they were all out, and babysitting. Daniel himself was fast asleep on the couch, with a grammar textbook draped over his chest much to Leo's surprise. "Let him sleep here." The leader quietly murmured. "No need to wake him, and I'll be up anyway to watch him."

Helen nodded and stood up, smiled at her slightly snoring and drooling son, and shuffled off to her own underground home. Leo watched her go a moment, then turned his attention to Lotus who had wormed her way to his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "This, has been a long week."

Lotus nodded in agreement, watching as Holly led a still somewhat despondent Raph towards their room. The worry clear to see on her face. Donnie was watching too, then turned away with a sigh and headed for his lab. His task now going to be sorting through the information they had all gathered tonight. Full well knowing that tonight's revelation would weigh heavy on all of their minds for a very long time.

Leo just watched it all, his head still shaking slightly. This was rapidly becoming something much more than any of them had ever anticipated. So many questions they needed answers for.

"Tea?" Lotus asked even as she broke from his embrace and meandered over to the kitchen area of their home. "It would help to calm you."

"Tea sounds great." He agreed with a sigh, following her to settle down onto one of the chairs surrounding their dining table.

"It seems like a necessary beverage at the moment." The kitchen was filled with the quiet rattling of Lotus fixing the tea, and Leo just watched her with unseeing eyes. His chin resting in his hand. He was just as disturbed as his brothers had been by tonight's revelation, but was forced to hide it from the others. The only one he really couldn't hide it from was Lotus, who knew him far to well for that to even work. She had been his assistant for so many years, learning everything about him before they had ever became a couple. And Lotus had learned very well. "You are troubled and it seems to calm you."

"It does." The reply was sent with a soft smile at her even if he was still lost in thought. "But not as much as the woman making it."

"You attempt to charm me." A fine brow was raised at him, a knowing smile on her face. "You should know the effort is not needed."

"I do know that, but I felt like it anyway."

"I see. Then I shall let the slight pass."

Leo chuckled a little as she set two large mugs onto the table before joining him. "I don't know how I ever got along without you."

"Very disappointingly." The quip was set right before she took a sip of her tea, eyes sparkling with mischievous mirth as she watched him over the rim of her mug.

Leo suddenly had no interest in the tea, or much of anything else at that moment. What he needed was far more personal and rooted deep within. Reaching out, he pulled Lotus from her chair and set her into his lap before wrapping his arms tightly around her. His face buried into her raven colored hair. Eyes clenched tightly shut as he began to shake, shake bad.

Her arms were comforting as they wrapped around him, and she was silent as she just held him. He needed comfort, and she would give it. Lotus didn't offer words stating that things would be alright, because not even she knew how the current events would turn out. But there was one thing she did reassure him of. "I am here, my love. Always will I be here."

Nothing else was said, and the tea grew cold, unnoticed as Leo let himself be lost in the one constant in his life. His family.

.

.

Rest was hard for him to come by. Holly saw that immediately.

He tossed and turned, a variety of mumbled words coming out of his lips as he struggled to find peaceful sleep. So much so that the redhead had propped herself up on an elbow and watched him worriedly. For once, she didn't know what to do to calm the large turtle. No snark, tricks or her usual spunk would fix this. Deep down she knew that. This was something that was affecting them all, and on levels that nothing had reached since they struggled so hard to break free of their former master.

This was hitting them where it was literally hurting.

Mikey was already isolating himself, blaming things that had happened to Brooklyn on himself, Leo's shoulders had been slumped the entire way home, Donnie was driving himself nuts in the lab trying to come up with answers. And Raph was struggling to come to terms that he had sired offspring that had more than likely killed the woman meant to carry it. And he had never even met the girl before. Someone was playing a very twisted game.

Holly didn't like the rules to this one, not that she knew them anyway.

"Raph?"

Her tone was just as soft as her touch. A gentle hand barely ghosting his shoulder as she shook lightly.

"Raph, wake up."

Holly knew from experience that waking any of the brothers unwanted from sleep could back fire. They had been through so, so much already that any startled interruption to their rest had them springing to their feet, battle ready with weapons in their hands. Weapons that were stashed in every bedroom. Sometimes, you just can't completely shake off these things and the evidence lingers throughout a lifetime.

She had seen him roll out of the bed, with these startled awakenings before, so that was what she was expecting when she woke him, but he surprised her. Completely.

He didn't fly out of the bed with battle ready curses and weapons in his hands, instead when his eyes opened, tears spilled forth. As if his closed eyelids had held a dam's worth of moisture behind them. And the look he gave her, it was tortured, haunted and full of guilt.

"Oh Raph..." Holly's own eyes filled with tears as she watched him, then instinctively moved closer to hug him, to comfort him. To try and do something to ease his soul. He wouldn't let her however, pushing he away again as he sat up. The sheets viciously flung off the bed.

"I did that to her." His voice was bitter, angry. At what, Holly wasn't sure yet. "If it hadn't been for me being alive, this wouldn't have fucking happened to her! And that poor tyke... It didn't... Didn't deserve...that..."

Holly bit her lip. There was nothing she could think of to say that would help. Not without it sounding condescending and, well, full of fake hope. All she could do was agree. On some of it anyway. "No. It didn't deserve that. Neither did the mother, and you didn't deserve this either." She sighed heavily, still wanting to give him that physical comfort but all he would do was push her away again. "Raph, you didn't know, Mikey didn't know. This isn't your fault."

"The hell it ain't! The fact I didn't know don't get rid of the fact that it was...my kid..." Just as quick as the outburst hit, it was mellowed again when his face dropped defeated into his hands. "My kid... If I would have known, I coulda done...somethin'."

"I know." Holly moved slowly closer again until she was sitting next to him. "But you didn't know. All we can do now is find out who did this, because it wasn't you Raph. This is not your fault."

He didn't move after that. Just sat there, hunched over and his face still hidden from view by his hands.

"I just, keep thinkin'." His voice was quiet when the hands finally dropped, his head still bowed. "I keep thinkin' about what if it hadn't died. If it had been normal. And what if there is another one out there?"

Now it was Holly's turn to squirm. Biting her lip, she forced herself to look away from him. Choosing a spot on the wall to stare at instead. "W-would, would you want one?"

The question was a shock to him as his head whipped up. Raph went from staring to narrowing his eyes at her. "Kind of a bad time to ask, cupcake, but I'm gettin' the feeling that there is more to the question." He raised his hand, gently cupping her chin before turning her head back to look at him. "And I'm wantin' to know why you are askin' it."

Maybe Holly should have kept her mouth shut. But seeing what he was going through, how he was taking the fact that he seemed to kind of wish that the child had survived... Maybe it was time for the topic to be broached. "I can't give you one." Her tone was quiet, almost ashamed as she admitted that.

"I know. I mean, Lotus had to have that science stuff done to he before she could. Maybe one day when we are both comfortable with-"

"Raph, _I can't give you one_!" Tears brimmed in her eyes now. "I already talked to Donnie. I can't have kids... I'll never have kids..."

Raph's mouth dropped open, now it was his turn to not know what to say.

"Raph, I guess... I guess I'm just worried." She went on, now wiping her eyes. "Worried that out there is a woman who actually was able to carry one. And if you really want a baby, and I can't..."

"That I would dump ya and take her instead?" Raph raised a ridge as he asked that, then almost glared at her when she nodded in agreement. "Not gonna happen." He didn't even try to cushion the flat tone. "Cupcake, I think we are both a bit rattled by what's been goin' on. Thing is, you are the one I want. You were there when I needed someone. Not them. Sure, if a kid were found, it would make a huge mess of things. But I'll find a way ta make it work, with you next ta me. Okay? And if it never does, I'll still love ya. I'll always love ya."

Finally he relented and let Holly hug him, and he returned the embrace. Both trying to comfort each other through the oceans of doubt that seemed to be cropping up.

For now, this was what they needed. But later, Raph fully intended to talk to Donnie and Holly together and find out the details of why she couldn't carry a child. The more he knew, the less likely he was to insert his huge foot in his mouth.


	10. Chapter 10

Donnie had placed his glasses down, then began to rub the bridge of his nose. It, just didn't make sense. None of this made sense.

There had been a bit more luck this time around. They had hit suddenly enough to where not every bit of evidence had been wiped, but most of it still was lost. Whoever these guys were, they were good. Unfortunately, part of the evidence just confirmed a suspiscion they all already suspected. That infant had indeed been Raph's.

"Dammit!" Donnie lost his patience for a moment, his fist slamming hard onto his desk. "What in the hell is going on!" He almost roared to the computer screen in front of him.

"Donnie?"

The frustrated turtle placed his glasses back on before turning towards the tentative voice, and was a bit startled to find Helen standing there. With a steaming cup of coffee and a sandwich.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course, of course." Donnie scrambled to clear a space for the approaching meal and Helen set the plate down, then the coffee. The aroma of both sandwich, a grilled cheese, and beverage making his mouth water and stomach rumble. How long had he been in here this time?

"I'm not bothering you?"

Donnie shook his head, a wry smile pulling at his lips. "No, my dear. As a matter of fact, the break is greatly appreciated."

He picked the mug up, blowing on the hot liquid a moment as he eyed the woman over the rim of his cup. Helen was by no means unwelcome in the lab, or their home in general, but it was such a rare occurrence for her to come in here that it did question the sudden appearance, with his favorite snack of all things. Helen just stood there, her eyes seemingly everywhere else as she fidgeted a little. Her body language alone was enough to clue him in that something was on her mind. What, remained to be revealed.

"I used to be like her." Helen finally admitted, sitting slowly on the cot against the far wall.

Donnie's ridge raised, but before he could ask for clarification on what she meant, the single mother continued.

"I hated you all. Even after Leonardo pulled us out of Spencer's lab that night, it took me a very long time to understand that you weren't, what you used to be." Helen shrugged slightly under Donnie's gaze before turning her embarrassed eyes away. Now a spot on the floor had her attention. "I know it's not the same scenario, but the feelings were the same."

The purple masked turtle tilted his head, biting his lower lip in thought as he took this unexpected information in. "We did notice that. For a long while you wanted nothing to do with us. Despite Daniel always being in here."

Now a soft laugh escaped her as she shook her head. "You have no idea how many times I told him to stay away. He just kept insisting and sneaking off. He just decided that he liked you all and moved himself in."

An amused snort left the lean turtle as he rolled his eyes. "Yes. It seems everyone we have invited into our lives and home actually invited themselves and we were unable to evict them. If I didn't know any better, I would assume that the unknown author of our lives takes great enjoyment of doing this to us."

That earned him a shy grin as Helen met his gaze. "I noticed that." Now her eyes softened a moment as she bit her lip in thought. "But, you have been good for him. We, didn't have much before. And his education..." She smiled a little as she met Donnie's eyes "has taken a positive turn. Regardless of his best efforts to mangle the english language."

Donnie chuckled a little as he leaned back in his chair in an effort to get more comfortable. "Yes, he stubbornly holds on to his verbal butchering. I'm starting to think he does it on purpose now because it irritates Leo."

"You know he does." Helen gave him a small grin before growing somber a moment. "What I'm getting at is, I can understand how she feels. It took quite a bit for me to overcome my own perceptions, and her trauma is much worse than mine. But, I can understand how she feels."

Donnie locked his eyes with hers again, sensing this was supposed to lead somewhere. The matronly woman in front of him blushed before breaking that gaze, her attention once more drawn to the floor. That didn't sit well with Donnie, so he set his coffee next to his still untouched sandwich and rolled his chair closer. "You know, I can also understand." The smile he gave her was a little somber. "For a very long time, we had been the ones every one was afraid of. I can imagine that would be a hard thing to over come, but you did."

"It took time." Helen agreed with a light nod. "But I did. Well, time and other things. And I found a wonderful home here. Eventually she will too."

"Very optimistic of you to think that she would even want to live with us. Right now she seems intent on holding grudges."

Helen just shrugged, a slight smile still playing around her lips. "At least she isn't hitting you with bedpans anymore."

The flat look Donnie gave her actually caused Helen to burst out in almost uncontrollable laughter.

Shaking his head a bit ruefully, he reached out and took her hand in his. Not even really thinking about it. "What ever the case, I'm glad you are here now. You and that little obnoxious male child who refuses to fix his grammar. No one makes a grilled cheese quite like you."

"A grilled cheese that still tastes like poop if it gets cold."

Donnie took the hit and scooted back to his desk, now taking up his snack and munching on it. Helen, stayed. She sat with him and they talked easily over the new few hours while he worked. Her presence holding that blinding frustration at bay.

.

.

"Oh Mister Leonaaaaaaaardo!"

Leo couldn't hold back the grimace and eye roll as someone made his presence known. "What is it Daniel?"

"I foooooooound something!"

Leo turned from the task of making his daughter some lunch, an eyeridge raised "It's not another raccoon is it? The last time you 'found' something it hid in the vents and ripped out the wiring."

Little Hope found that statement amusing if one could go by the giggling and hand clapping from her high chair.

Leo just smiled at his daughter before refocusing on Daniel who had moved into the kitchen by this point.

"Nah. Not today." The boy grinned, obviously remembering the chaos that ensued when the four large turtles tried to flush the critter back out. "I'm savin' that fer special occasions."

Leo gave him a flat look, then mumbled. "We should have just turned the boy loose on Shredder, would have saved us all a lot of time and hassle..." Hope giggled again when Daniel grinned and winked at her.

"Anyhoo!" Daniel chirped before digging around in one of his many pockets. "I was snoopin' again and found somethin'."

"And are you going to tell me what it is? Or was your intent to annoy me with your butchered grammar, forcing me to try and puzzle it out myself." Leo set the plate down for Hope before turning to face Daniel fully.

"Both!" the boy grinned at him.

Leo gave him a flat look in return.

Daniel laughed before producing the content of his pocket. "I was snoopin' along the eastern edge of ol' Buckethead's old lab supply compound. Ya know, out by the river?"

Leo nodded, not surprised at the child's adventurous spirit anymore. Daniel was always going off and 'snooping'. And no amount of punishment would deter the young man. Leo took this with a grain of salt, because more than once he had managed to bring back some useful information.

The information this time was placed in his waiting, outstretched hand. Leo looked down, eyes narrowing as he took a moment to puzzle out what this crumpled up mess was in his palm. Then his eyes widened. "How long ago were you out there?"

"Early this mornin'."

Leo nodded, returning to the sink area to clean off the object. Once the dirt had been removed, it revealed a small, tin box with a special set of engravings on it. Engravings Leo knew very well, and a low growl escaped his throat. Sure, the box was filthy, but there was no reason for it to be here in the city in the first damn place. And it looked like it hadn't been out there for a extended long amount of time. Maybe a few months at the most. Opening it up, he was unsurprised to find what he did. It was a pendant, engraved with the same pattern that was on the box. A combination of Shredder's old symbol with a black rose entwined around it.

The large turtle slammed the box onto the counter, spun on his heel and stormed to the door to retrieve his gear.

"Where ya goin'? Miss Lotus gonna yell at you."

"I'll survive. Go find her and let her know I'm leaving. But I'm not going alone, I'm taking Mikey with me."

"But-"

Leo spun back, a dangerous fire in his eyes as he glared the boy down. "Do not argue with me Daniel. And you stay away from that part of town. Is that understood."

Daniel's face paled as he saw the look on the leader's face, then hurriedly nodded. For once, he was actually scared to upset the mutant. "Yes sir. I'll let her know now."

Leo didn't hear him as he geared up and left, heading to the barracks. His mind was somewhere else.

 _She was back..._.

.

.

Mikey was startled when his door slammed open. With enough forced to rebound off of the wall and start to slam shut again. It was hindered in that effort when Leo caught it with his hand, stepping into the room. And his expression was one Mikey hadn't seen on Leo's face in a very long time. Anger, and hate.

Taking off his headset, he now ignored his computer game and stood up to greet his brother.

"I need you." Leo curtly told him.

"You got it." Mikey knew better than to question Leo. Not when he was like this. Mikey quickly grabbed his own gear and once he was ready, both turtles left the room. Leo leading the way at a brisk trot out of the barracks. The younger turtle sideeyed the older one, patiently waiting. he knew once Leo got enough control of himself, the details would be filled in. Right now, he just had to settle with the fact that he was needed.


End file.
